The iPad; the long awaited Apple Tablet. Ever since the 1980’s, Apple has hyped up that they were getting ready to release a tablet computer. So the Apple fans and die-hard Mac fans waited for it. They waited; and waited. Until finally, in 2010, more than 22 years after the first idea for a tablet computer came about, when a student won a content held by Apple in 1988 for the best futuristic gadget ideas, came the inkling that there would even be an iPad; it is finally released and It sold out in hours. More specifically, one single iPad is sold every 2.3 seconds. More than three million total iPad devices have been sold since the official first release date in April 2010.
Design & Display
The iPad looks almost as a large iPad Touch does, it is rectangular, but slim. It measures 9.56 inches tall by 7.47 inches wide by 0.5 inches thick and weighs between 1.5 pounds to 1.6 pounds, depending on whether the Wi-Fi or combination Wi-Fi/3G model is purchased.
The display is a 9.7 inch diagonal multi-touch that is glossy and has a widescreen LED backlight using IPS, which is what the iPhone 4 uses in addition to the Retina display. The IPS technology allows users of the iPad to hold it at any angle and still view the content without losing resolution. In fact, users have a wide viewing angle of 178° before it starts losing its resolution quality. Speaking of resolution, the iPad has a resolution of 1024-pixels by 920-pixels, with 132 (ppi) pixels per inch.
Again, the iPad features a fingerprint and smudge proof oleophobic coat on the glass and the backside of the device, just as the iPhone 4 does. Additionally included is the ability to view various characters at the same time, meaning users can view Chinese characters and English words on the same screen at the same time.
Wi-Fi or 3G?
The first iPad that Apple released was a standard Wi-Fi version. However, in recent months, a 3G version was released and it sold just as quickly as the original did. The Standard Wi-If model works with the IEEE standard of 802.11 a/b/g/n and has Bluetooth 2.1 support plus EDR technology. This version uses the Lithium polymer battery and lasts for up to 10 hours of Internet time.
The Wi-Fi/3G combination model offers all those plus the added 3G support. The 3G is $200 more expensive; however, it can surf the Internet at GSM /EDGE (2G) and HSDPA (3G) speeds for up to nine hours at a time using the standard Lithium polymer battery.
Processor & Storage
The Processor is Apple’s own (instead of the typical Intel processor of the past iPhones) A4 low power chip which clocks in at a decent 1Ghz, the same as the iPhone 4. Apple calls this processor a “system on a chip” because it is just enough to power video and other such features.
As for the data storage, the iPad comes in three versions. The lowest is the 16 GB Flash drive, the mid-sized is 32 GB and the high-end storage size in 32 GB flash drive. This is more than enough to do the normal tasks such as store video and music.
Features
The iPad features video support that plays at 1024 pixels by 768 pixels, o long as it is connected to the Dock to VGA. It also supports 576p and 480 p using Apple’s Component cable in addition to 5761 and 480i with the Apple composite cable. The iPad can record video up to 30 frames a second at 720p in various file formats. Using Google is also a built-in feature, which includes Google Maps to use with the assisted GPS features.
Downfalls
The main downfall to the iPad includes the lack of Flash support. Everything is coded in HTML5, which Apple believes is the “new standard.” Additionally, they have made changes to their developer SDK so that all applications must be developed using native iPad language. In addition, while the iPad features and specification pages state there is USB support, there are no real USB ports on the iPad to plug in. the user must buy a docking connector to use this feature.
Overall
Including features such as mail, Safari web browsing, iPad and iTunes support, application and multitasking support and more, the iPad is a fully featured tablet PC. Along with the various sensors built in and the ability to do almost anything, these features make the iPad a great gadget for all.